Chad Scharff and the Fernie Ghostriders aim to play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) Teck Cup this season. “We’re excited to get going. I know our fanbase deserves a championship,” says the head coach-general manager in their Quick Shift team preview.

Along with a strong core of returning players, Scharff gives insight on new players joining the roster.

KIJHL: What should fans be excited about when it comes to this team?

CS: We’ve got a lot of returning players, new, young faces – a group that has a little fire in their belly to get back to where we were. The group is excited to get on the ice and get the season started. We will play fast, hard and be competitive.

KIJHL: What areas are you looking to improve from last season?

CS: They had a really good foundation as Ty Valin did a really good job with the group that was here. For us, it’s maybe adding a few more structural details, expectations. We will add our own flavour on what we do and how we coach, but realistically there’s a core group of guys who have that fire to get back there. As a coaching staff, we will add our two cents and try to win four more hockey games.

KIJHL: You added Luke Rothfos, Keegan Fellows in a trade, what do you like about him that he will bring?

CS: Luke Rothfos has been roughly a point-a-game guy the year before (40 points in 44 games between Kimberley and Sicamous). He’s a big body and skates well, and has good puck skills with the ability to play at both ends of the ice. Adding him was a really big piece.

Fellows is a really responsible depth guy that can play down the middle and he played three games for us on defence in exhibition, so that tells you how versatile he is. I always say when a guy can play forward and defence, they have a really high hockey IQ.

KIJHL: Are there any returning players that you are expecting to have big seasons? Talk about what you are hoping to see from them.

CS: It starts with our captain Taylor Haggerty. He is coming off a 62-point season – third best in the KIJHL. He’s going to be looked upon to add to the offence again. We’ve had conversations with him about rounding out his game, little things like not not taking as much physical engagement than he has to, and giving himself a little bit more time and space with the puck.

Eric Martin is the best defenceman in the league. He brings a lot of intangibles that a lot of defencemen don’t. He can play on the offensive side of the puck, defence, and he likes to take his chances when he can, but he’s reliable. Martin had 24 points in 19 games last season.

The list goes on and on.

Malachai Peigan is a big presence with his body (6-1, 215 pounds) on the backend and plays physical, hard minutes. I’m looking for him to grow his game even further.

Nick Kunyk won 18 of his 22 games and was a solid presence in the crease. That gives us the comfort to take our chances when we can. If we give up opportunities, he will be there to help us out. He had a .921 save rate with a 2.35 goals against average. He played in the BCHC Top Prospects Game last season.

KIJHL: Are there first-year players who are ready to make an immediate impact?

SC: Eric Jiang (2006 – Pacific Coast Academy) He is a smart, mobile defenceman with a good stick. He has a lot of upside and skill.

Up front we’ve added guys like Liam Breakenridge, Dylan Puk and Sawyer Samycia that provide us a lot of energy and character. Puk (Fort Saskatchewan U18) brings speed, size, spirit and has a touch around the net.

Samycia (Edge Academy) – He is a local player, who is a really good skater, is strong on his edges and can drive pucks to the net and has a really good shot.

Breakenridge (Calgary IHA U18) He brings a solid presence and is really good on the penalty-kill. He’s a hard-working guy that plays physical.

KIJHL: When it comes to your leadership group, what are the important characteristics that you want each player to possess?

CS: When you have seven 20-year-olds, there should be a lot of leadership alone in that age group.

Taylor as our captain is a solid human, really respectful and polite. He’s not the most vocal guy, but he has a lot of intangibles that you want in your leader and it shows on the ice. You look for guys that can complement that. It’s a guy who’s a little more outspoken or a bigger presence in the room. I’m a big believer in good people and that’s first and foremost for me. Guys that are willing to do the right thing all the time when coaches aren’t there.

KIJHL

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